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Many people are sleep-deprived due to several reasons. There are people whose lack of sleep is intentional. It includes people who stay up at night to binge-watch on their favorite shows or those play video games till dawn.

Others are unintentionally depriving themselves of sleep to meet family obligations or even meet deadlines at work. Other reasons why some people lack sleep is due to certain medical conditions. Some have chronic illnesses; others have obstructive sleep apnea, while some have anxiety or depression.

Failure to catch enough zzz’s can cause a number of effects on your body. Some of which are as follows.

Increased Risk of Developing Some Health Issues

When you fail to sleep well for an extended period, it can put your body at risk for some serious health issues. It includes heart disease, failure or attack, diabetes, and even stroke.

Memory Loss

We need rest and sleep to help our brain learn efficiently and consolidate memory. When you lack sleep, your mind works overtime to absorb and store new information, thus making it hard to recall memories.

Low Sex Drive

That’s right – sleep-deprived individuals can also experience less interest in sex and a lower libido level. Usually, you can blame it on the lower energy levels and sleepiness.

Depression

One common symptom associated with depression is lack of sleep. People diagnosed with depression often get no more than six hours of sleep, which only adds up to their sadness and depressed mood.

Weight Gain

Did you know that some people experience weight gain simply because they can’t sleep well or long enough during nighttime? When you sleep less than six hours each night, you get that feeling of increased hunger and appetite. All those late-night snacking can take a toll on your weight.

Impaired Judgment

When you fail to rest properly at night, your ability to make a sound judgment is impaired. One fails to assess situations accurately, think of the best solutions, and act accordingly.

Not getting enough sleep can also affect your facial appearance. That’s right, not only is your health, mood, and memory is affected when you’re sleep-deprived, but how you look as well.

Here’s are some ways sleep can mess your facial appearance.

Dark circles

When you fail to sleep well and long enough at night, one can usually tell by merely looking at your face. One tell-tale sign is dark circles under the eye. It is because the cells inside your body fail to regenerate and blood vessels dilate. The skin under your eyes is thinner – this, the increase in blood flow gives the skin that darker tint.

Redness, breakouts and dry skin

One of the negative effects you can get from being sleep-deprived is skin redness, acne, and dry skin. When you don’t get enough sleep, moisture level drops and the pH levels in your skin that’s responsible for giving you that youthful glow lowers. It eventually creates a pH imbalance, causing redness, making your skin look dry and even trigger breakouts.

Under-eye bags

Another usual result of a miserable night of sleep is puffy eyes. When you stay awake during the time you’re supposed to be sleeping, this causes the eyes to get irritated, dry, and inflamed. If you wish not to have any under-eye bags, get your daily amount of zzz’s.

Older appearance

You may not think of wrinkles as a side effect of sleep deprivation. The thing is, when you fail to rest properly during the night, it is making you look a lot older. How? Your skin especially in your face ages faster, thus the appearance of wrinkles and pale or dull skin.

Good Read: 6 Amazing Reasons to Sleep for Skin Health

These are just some of the consequences you can, unfortunately, experience without getting a solid night’s rest. These are also the very reasons why you should sleep your way to a more beautiful and youthful appearance.

Unfortunately, for most people, getting the right amount of sleep can be hard. It is especially true if you are unintentionally skipping the zzz’s or have a medical condition preventing you from enjoying sleep. Thankfully, there are many ways you can finally rest, sleep longer, and improve your sleep quality.

The following are the tried-and-tested ways one can do to enjoy better sleep quality.

  • Avoid drinking too much caffeine. Drinks or even food rich in caffeine helps keep you energized and jumpstart your day. However, this could be the very reason why you’re still awake when you should already be sleeping. Watch your caffeine levels and avoid drinking caffeinated drinks late in the day.
  • Get yourself a weighted blanket. Nowadays, weighted blankets are a popular commodity that allows people to sleep faster, longer, and enjoy better sleep quality. It works as such heavier blankets use deep pressure therapy. It helps stimulate the release of melatonin and serotonin, which are responsible for lulling your body to sleep. When getting a weighted blanket for you or your loved one, make sure the sheet only weighs about 10% of the user’s weight.
  • Take a nap. When you really can’t complete eight hours of sleep during the night, make sure to catch some zzz’s by taking up to a 30-minute nap during the day. It helps you feel energized for the next few hours.
  • Exercis Why would anyone want to work out if you’re already tired due to not getting enough sleep? Exercising gets your blood pumping, and makes you feel a lot less tired. It gives your body more reasons to catch some sleep when you hit the sack.

Good Read: Better Sleep Found by Exercising on a Regular Basis

Many of us are craving to get that much-deserved good night’s sleep. Knowing what the common causes of sleep deprivation is, its common effects and what we can do about it can help us get the sleep we need and want the most.